Safety warning issued after kitchen fire

Fire officers have issued further pleas for residents to take extra care while cooking after crews tackled a kitchen blaze in the early hours of Friday morning.

Three crews from Wigan and Hindley stations were called to an address on Billinge Road just after 2am.

On arrival officers found the kitchen of the property ablaze and used four breathing apparatus, a positive pressure fan and one hose reel to tackle the fire.

One casualty was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene by paramedics and the cause of the fire was accidental, the fire service said.

Coun David Acton, Chariman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority said: “It’s so easy to get distracted when cooking, so please make sure you never leave a pan unattended and don’t cook if you’re feeling drowsy, tired or drinking alcohol. I would urge all residents to ditch their chip pans and swap them for safer alternatives such as deep fat fryers.

“More than half of all house fires start in the kitchen but you can reduce your risk of a serious fire by ensuring you have a working smoke alarm that’s correctly fitted and checked regularly.”